Fractures in long bones of the thigh and lower leg can be assisted in the repair process by inserting an intramedullary nail through the intramedullary canal of the bone. The fractured bone segments are aligned and then the intramedullary canal of each bone segment is reamed to create a bored canal. The intramedullary nail is then inserted into the bored canal from a proximal bone segment through to a distal bone segment. The nail is secured to the proximal and distal bone segments using screws or pins. After the intramedullary nail is secured to the bone, the fractured segments are fixed in position relative to each other such that new bone cells grow in the fractured areas. After the bone is healed, the intramedullary nail is removed from the bone.
The intramedullary nail has a plurality of preformed securing holes at the proximal and distal ends of the nail. However, the exact position of the securing holes in the nail relative to the bone and the body after insertion is not accurately known. A number of glide devices have been developed to locate the securing holes to permit drilling of a bore from the outside of the body through the securing holes and into the opposing cortex sections of the bone. Prior art guides have operated from both inside the nail and external to the body. The most difficult securing holes to locate are at the distal end of the nail.